Fall 2019 Newsletter

I was afraid as I left for college

that not only would I be geographically separated from my family, but Jewishly cut off as well.

Growing up, Judaism always connected me to my family. My Jewish traditions and practices, like Shabbat dinner every Friday night, was a constant bond between myself and the people I most loved.

I was afraid as I left for college that not only would I be geographically separated from my family, but Jewishly cut off as well.

And then, I spent my first Shabbat at Chabad. From that moment on, thanks to you, I had a family I could share Judaism with.

I would come early to Shabbat to play with the children, earning myself the name

“snowstorm man”. I’d stay late debating social issues (though politics are prohibited at the Sanoff’s Shabbat table) and playing board games with my new Jewish friends who I likely would never have met if not for your support.

By the time I was a senior, it didn’t matter if I was driving two hours back to New Jersey or walking a couple minutes to Chabad, I always felt like I spent Jewish holidays at home.

Whether I was putting on Teffilin in the middle of the library after learning with the Rabbi as a hundred strangers looked on or sitting with Dalia and the children in Main eating the Kosher for Passover food they provide, I always felt I could explore and practice Judaism.

The Jewish family you gave me at Vassar meant more than having a place to go on Friday nights. It meant I could always feel comfortable and supported embracing Judaism in a new place. And for that, I will be forever indebted to you!

By Yoni Auerbach ‘20

Yoni enjoying Kosher for Passover food in Main. Yoni together with his Jewish freinds during a board meeting.

Yoni celebrating Chanukah with his “family” at the Chabad House.

The Jewish family you gave me at Vassar meant I could always feel comfortable and supported embracing Judaism in a new place.

Scientists have coined the term “negativity bias” to describe this phenomenon of how human consciousness relates to the world. Essentially, our negativity bias ensures that experiences of a more negative nature have a greater effect on our psychological state and consequent behavior.

According to neuroscientists, our brains have developed specialized circuits that register negative experiences immediately in emotional memory so that we can learn from them.

On the other hand, most positive experiences flow through the brain like water through a sieve; we experience them, enjoy them, and quickly forget them.

Out of necessity, we have become masters of fixating on the negative aspects of our lives and environments. This is only natural.

We may therefore walk around in a low-level state of hypervigilance and anxiety. As a result, we tend to blow our negative experiences out of proportion and fail to contextualize them within the positive aspects of our life that we have forgotten in moments of stress.

Establishing a positive mindset is therefore quite difficult, as it goes against the grain of our established nature. And yet, maintaining a positive perspective in the midst of hardship is essential

By Dalia Sanoff

to elevating one’s quality of life.

Human life on this earth unfortunately is not free from various factors which bring about unhappiness; and that this is universal, though the causes vary. To go through life in complete happiness is not destined for humanity. One of the basic things, however, is to have a clear vision on the fundamental issues, and to cultivate appropriate expectations and attitudes.

The ultimate goal is not to completely avoid or remove all challenges or conflicts in one’s life. That is impossible. And, as we will see, it would not even guarantee our happiness, because so much depends on our perspective in relation to our actual circumstances. It is, however, within our power to “cultivate attitudes” in order to process and integrate all of our experiences, including the negative, in a way that liberates rather than limits our potential for success and happiness. Seeing life from a wider angle than just our own immediate experience is a crucial first step in shifting our negative response patterns.

So yes… there is a spike in anti-Semitism, but we must focus on the positive and sharing tosepositive Jewish experiences with young people. Thank you for helping students get past their Jewish negativity bias and providing them an address to be joyfully Jewish!

Dalia hosting students at her child’s Brit Milah.

Dalia teaching a Jewish primary text based class at the Chabad House.

At an event highlighting Mexican Jewry, Dalia shares her family’s Mexican roots.

With all the negativity in the world, how can we remain positive for a brighter future?

After the Jersey City shooting, I sent out an email to our students letting them know we are there for them. I made a few suggestions about what are some positives things they could do if face of such ugly hatred...

Within minutes of sending the email, a first-year wrote back a very emotional emailing thanking us for always being there and with a request. Can she have a mezuzah to hang on her door?

Finals Study Week at Chabad

During the last 10 evenings of the semester, the Chabad House becomes a student safe haven! A delicious dinner helps create a productive atmosphere for students to do their finals work in the warmth of a home.

And yes, Rabbi Daniel and Dalia police them to enforce productivity :-)

Jewish Education in Action!

Without a basic knowledge of Judaism, students find it hard to appreciate what it means be Jewish. This generation is out of touch, not because they are opposed to Judaism, rather they are unaware of their rich intellectual heritage.

Here is a class teaching students to explore Jewish thought to understand the reasons behind practices which foster Jewish involvement.